DREAM Owners Change Business Model, Declare War With UFC

K-1 President Sadaharu Tanikawa leads the charge at today's press conference announcing the financial partnership between Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) and Shanghai-based investment bank PUJI Capital. FEG holds DREAM and K-1 under its umbrella and expects great things from a new business model that focuses on a global expansion. And to make this declaration of war sound slightly more ridiculous, they're not just targeting UFC but also...WWE? "This is a declaration of war against the WWE and UFC. From Asia, we will take the world. Mr. Ishii is completely supporting us. We won't stand a chance in the American market so we will spread to the rest of the world. When K-1 and PRIDE were competing against each other, 80-percent of the martial arts market was in Japan. It is now the opposite and Japan is only 20-percent. We were worried that Japan would be left behind if we let this continue, it is unacceptable. We needed to change our business model. We've let Dana White get a lead on us. Before (Shinya) Aoki beats (Gilbert) Melendez, we must win as promoters."

The declaration of war against WWE only made me laugh and not take this so seriously. Silva-Sonnen this is not.

BlueSkiesBurn

7/17/10 9:20:43AM

Anybody declaring war on the WWE is either stupid or loony. I have no idea what the WWE has to do with MMA, I guess DREAM could be pissed that Brock is a champ and he was a WWE superstar. Maybe they don't like Lashley fighting at HW, maybe it's Batista, who knows?

warglory

7/17/10 10:08:53AM

Come on, really?

ncordless

7/17/10 10:59:57AM

Posted by BlueSkiesBurn

Anybody declaring war on the WWE is either stupid or loony. I have no idea what the WWE has to do with MMA, I guess DREAM could be pissed that Brock is a champ and he was a WWE superstar. Maybe they don't like Lashley fighting at HW, maybe it's Batista, who knows?

From an American perspective, it seems odd that the Japanese would include WWE in its statement.

But MMA in Japan is directly related to Pro Wrestling. MMA there grew organically from its Shoot matches in Pro Wrestling, and almost all of the first generation of Japanese stars gained their popularity in Pro Wrestling and the connection goes back even further than that. Long before there was even a concept of MMA, the wrestler Inoki fought Ali. Japanese MMA has always had a strong element of Pro Wrestling in it, and for it to be successful in the future they will need to continue that tradition.

The major driving forces behind Japanese MMA fandom are Pro Wrestling, traditional style clashes such as jits v. judo, and some good old fashion racism.

To an American audience, it makes no sense. To the Japanese, it makes all the sense in the world.

icantthinkofanything

7/17/10 11:13:58AM

The Japanese love fake wrestling. A lot of fighters do wrestling over there. Dream needs good fighters. I wasnt' a fan during Pride years, but it seems that good fights and good fighters is what made that company work. I like k-1, but don't like Dream that much. It can be very boring, I dont know anyone fighting, and it always seems like whoever fighting besides Aoki has over 10 losses. Dream seemed like they were more on a role in their birth, now they fell off harder imo.

jlock003

7/17/10 12:33:58PM

I kinda feel like the purpose of these comments were to get some air time, but declaring war against the UFC alone is ridiculous, not to mention the WWE??? I watched the last Dream from top to bottom...first one I've ever sat all the way through for and I just wasn't impressed. The fights seemed lopsided and drawn out. Dream has a long way to go before they can even think about being competitive in the rest of the globe. They have a much shorter road to go before their financeer and company all go bankrupt. Stick to what your good at and don't try to take over the industry when the king of that particular industry is the strongest the industry has ever seen.

prozacnation1978

7/17/10 12:39:47PM

dont make me laugh even wwe would beat them

RearNakedJoke

7/17/10 4:05:24PM

the japanese treat "professional" wrestling as if it were real fighting.

They dont stand a chance against the UFC. It takes more than money to beat them, Affliction proved that.

TimW001

7/17/10 6:39:15PM

Sounds good to me! More MMA please!

BustedKnuckle

7/18/10 12:25:37AM

I am all for expansion of MMA, but the UFC is definatly leading in that catagory already!! With the UK, Germany, Abu Dahbi, Austrailia. I mean, other than the "eastern" countries the UFc rules. I would like to see the UFc go back to Brazil though.